On Feb 6, 10:34*am, Jack Linthicum
wrote:

The greetings committee for any overflight of Tehran. Overflight would
be a misnomer, ground inspection of the remains would be more
accurate. Remember the Iran-Contra Hawks?

AIRFORCE
SYSTEM * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Inventory
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 2005 * *2010

FIGHTER / ATTACK * * * * * * * * * *302 * * * * 302
F-4D/E / RF-4E PHANTOM * * * * *65 * * * * * *65
F-5E/F TIGER II * * * * * * * * * * * * *60 * * * * * *60
F-14 TOMCAT * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 * * * * * 25

F-7 (China J-7) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 * * * * * 25
MiG-29A/UB * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *25 * * * * * 25

Su-25K * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *7 * * * * * 7
Su-24MK * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *30 * * * * 30
Mirage F-1 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *25 * * * *25
MiG-23 FLOGGER * * * * * * * * * * * *15 * * * *15

IIRC the Afghans knocked a similar sized box car the Hind out of the
air

Would anyone else be shocked if Iran had 25 Tomcats flying in 2010?

Anyway, my point was that other than the occasional CSAR pickup, there
should never be circumstances where Ospreys are making any kind of
landing under fire. For that matter, if you've got any kind of
presence in a battlespace, NO aircraft should be landing under fire.
Hot LZ? Hold the troop carriers outside of the zone and soften it with
air power or artillery, and/or use one of the alternates that you
should have identified in planning.